Finches

Chapter 26 - Raise The Anchor

"I just took out a pirate," Shelly stated, staring at the silver knife in her hand.

"Yeah I saw," Colt agreed, still out of breath. "Great timing, as well."

He wondered how many more seconds it would've been before he'd been shot. Probably not too many. Great timing indeed. He thought about thanking her for saving his life, but he was sort of risking his life for her sake anyway. Plus, there was still lots of time left for him to die. Maybe they could exchange their thanks later, if they somehow managed to survive.

"Do you think he's dead?"

Colt glanced down at where Breaker was laying across the ground. His mouth was open and his eyes were closed. There was blood completely covering his torso, which didn't look at all promising for him, but there was no telling. Colt gave a simple shrug as his answer, since he didn't really feel like leaning down and checking the dangerous pirate's breath.

"No telling," he said, "but let's hope so. I wasn't really too fond of him."

Shelly continued to gaze at the body and at the bloody knife she was holding. She looked like she was in a sort of trance, as if...

"This is the first time you've killed someone, isn't it?" Colt asked suddenly, the thought striking him.

For the first time Shelly looked away from Breaker. She glanced over at him and gave a nod.

Well that was just perfect, Colt thought. He didn't know how to comfort someone about that sort of thing, but it was obvious that he needed to get her out of the trance. If they stayed put for much longer, eventually some friends of Breaker would come along. And that would not be good.

"Look, you..." Colt hesitated, trying to figure out how to word what he was trying to say. "You did the right thing, okay? He was going to shoot me if you hadn't stabbed him. And, as a bonus, you fulfilled his dying wish that no man would ever beat him in a fight."

Shelly turned her gaze back to the body and Colt suspected she was rolling her eyes. "I don't think that's exactly what he meant."

"What?" he protested. "Maybe he could have reworded it a little, but whose fault is that?"

Shelly furrowed her brows. "His, I guess."

"Precisely," Colt agreed, "I'm glad you came around. So, any luck with the Authority?"

"I found my brother and told him to move up the defensive ranks," she said. "I don't think he was terribly happy to be getting tactical advice from his little sister, but he said he'd consider it."

So she was halfway successful.

"Okay," Colt nodded. "Well if he considers it in time he might even be able to save some lives."

"Hey, if you think you can do a better job, you're welcome to..."

They got interrupted as an authoritarian officer stumbled back into Shelly and hit the ground. Colt and Shelly moved back a little as the man raised himself up on his elbows and started crawling backwards, away from the advancing pirate.

Colt walked up and grabbed the officer beneath the arms, hoisting him up to his feet. He reached down and picked up the pirate sword that the officer had been using, returning it to him.

"Th... thank you," the officer stuttered, standing back up and turning to face the incoming pirate.

"No trouble," Colt replied, giving the officer a little push. "Give him hell."

Shelly raised an eyebrow as they watched the two men clash sword with sword, dancing further and further away together.

"You're not going to help him out?" she asked.